


Fireflies In Glass Jars

by FactoryKat



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Custom Male Hawke (Dragon Age), Domestic Fluff, Dragon Age II - Act 2, Happy Anders (Dragon Age), Hawke Being Hawke (Dragon Age), Justice Positive, M/M, Mage Hawke (Dragon Age), Pre-Dragon Age II Quest - All That Remains, Purple Hawke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 10:16:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19461907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FactoryKat/pseuds/FactoryKat
Summary: The Hawke estate may be warm, comfortable and safe but not always the best environment for productivity.





	Fireflies In Glass Jars

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt from the Saturday writing thread on Reddit!

**Prompt: Fireflies trapped in jars**

  
  
Anders’ chin sunk deeper into his palm as he tapped the quill against the parchment, deep in thought over the neat scrawl of words stretched across the page. The sound of the crackling hearth was a far more soothing white noise than the screaming, crying, or (his favorite) the squeak of rats that had been his lullaby in Darktown for too many years.

"And in his loins was a passionate heat like any other… well then."

Ah yes, he had almost forgotten the other sounds. Hawke's voice trailed down from above him. Anders sat on the lower level of the study with his back to the fireplace while his love found it an appropriate time to peruse his collection of books, one in particular penned by their mutual Dwarven companion no less. It wasn't enough to simply browse or flip through them quietly either. Oh no. He felt it necessary to read the flowery contents aloud.

“Their senses rose together on the crest of a passion wild beyond anything they could have imagined!”

It was a ploy. One conceived to get his attention. Anders persevered, allowing Justice to push forward on his thoughts only enough to maintain his focus. If the spirit within was in any way put off by the obnoxious narration, he couldn’t tell. It was either that or he had grown accustomed to their lover’s antics.

_Theirs_? Since when - Nevermind.

With a drawn out sigh, Anders straightened his poor posture and stretched his long limbs before committing himself to the manifesto again. When Wyatt finally ceased his nonsensical reading, he was left only with the quiet cracks and pops of the fire but he kept on, scribbling a few lines then pausing to read before hastily scratching it out. He leaned back - all the way back - nearly startled by the sensation of the plush armchair beneath his tired form instead of hard and rickety wood. Needless to say, he was still adjusting to the many benefits of living amongst Hightown aristocracy or so he joked from time to time.

Footsteps hitting the floor drew his attention and he looked up to see his partner descend the staircase with his face contorted in almost horror over what he was reading. Anders allowed himself a snort and his lips to crack with the start of a grin. Still, he said nothing and resumed his writing.

“You know,” Wyatt started again, never taking his eyes off the page. “It makes me wonder what Varric would write about us.”

No, he wasn’t going to take the bait. Anders steadied his hand and scrawled a few more lines on the parchment, choosing to pointedly ignore the man pacing behind him with a book practically pressed to his nose.

The silence didn’t last and his concentration was shattered again with a much more serious effort to derail him. “Just change the words a little - he stared into golden, glittering eyes - like fireflies trapped in little glass jars -”

“You’re ridiculous.” Anders finally acknowledged him, squinting his eyes closed as he fought against the urge to smile like a fool. Hawke’s estate was a promise of safety and comfort, yes, but not always conducive to productivity.

“What about this line?" Wyatt quipped as he slid onto the edge of the table, deliberately putting himself in direct line of sight. His broad form cast a shadow across the pages and Anders groaned. "The eyes held his own, challenged him to deny the mutual physical awareness that had crackled between them from the first day. Falling in love had not been an option but the blonde mage could only cling to the solidness of his lover's huge frame as their bodies, their passions, and their completion molded them into one."

Anders nearly choked as finally laid down the quill, defeated and thoroughly mortified. He knew - at least his rational mind knew - that is not what was actually written on the page but rather was supplemented by his lover's absurd exaggeration. It didn't stop the heat from flooding his cheeks. Focus shot, he could feel Justice's presence retreat deep into his consciousness, as if he too suffered the same feelings of embarrassment.

“Hawke…”

Laughing heartily, Wyatt leaned across the desk and pressed a kiss to his temple. "Sorry, I'll stop distracting you. Couldn't help myself."

Anders squinted with the sudden contact and released a long sigh. He was ready to wave the white flag of surrender at this point, even if his lover claimed he was done being a nuisance, but Wyatt must have picked up on his feelings. Anders was surprised by strong arms closing around him from behind and warm breath against his ear when the man’s head crested over his shoulder to look at the mess of paper on the desk.

“How is it coming along? Anything you’d like to share yet? I’m a pretty good listener you know.”

He blinked and tilted his head back to look at his partner’s face, looking for - something - anything that might suggest he was joking. But it wasn’t there. Anders was met with curious blue eyes and found himself genuinely surprised. “You … want to read it? Or you’d listen to what I have written?” He could hear his own voice waver, “Truly?”

Wyatt’s head bobbed as he let go and stood up, “Sure. I’m not much of a writer myself, but I’m happy to give my opinion.”

It was strange, really, to have someone show actual interest like that. Within, he felt the spirit’s presence lingering close and something that considered intrigue, or just curiosity to perhaps glean what Hawke’s reaction was for himself.

With some reticence, Anders gathered the pages together in their proper order and handed them to his willing partner, perched on the corner of the desk once again. He watched the man’s face for signs of, well, anything really. For good or for worse. When tawny brows raised, reaching his forehead and his lips parted, Anders nearly lurched forward to snatch the document away in shame.

“Wow.”   
  
Wow?

Finally, Wyatt looked up and Anders saw he had misinterpreted his reaction.

“This is - Anders love, this is - wow. You have a way with words. I can’t believe this is what you’re always working on. It’s fantastic.”

Pride swelled within him, both his own and from Justice. He reached to take back the manifesto pages but Hawke pulled away as he stood up from the desk and began pacing, his eyes still focused on the parchment in hand. “No, no. I’m not done yet.”

When he started reading passages aloud, Anders felt a flood of heat in his cheeks and his chest. The spirit’s own exuberance was clear as well, and for once he felt like everything was right in the world, or at least everything under this roof.

Finally Wyatt stopped moving and returned the pages to the desk with a wide, warm smile. “I had no idea you could write like that!”

Chuckling, Anders returned the smile and re-arranged the stack of parchment with intent to resume where he had left off. “I still have a lot of work before it’s ready but I appreciate the enthusiasm.”

“Well, when it is, I can have Mother leave some behind at those fancy dinner parties she always goes too.”

He felt his eyes widening and his own brows reach for his hairline. To hear his work praised was one thing, but for Hawke to make such an offer - “You would do that? For me?” Astonished wasn’t sufficient enough to express how he felt, but it was a start.

“Of course! I’d even pin it to Meredith’s door if I thought it would help!”

Anders laughed, still taken aback by the unexpected show of support. “I would love to see her face if you did. Thank you, love. I - it means a lot.” Could he ever get used to this? Did he deserve to? How long would it last though? Surely it couldn’t be like this forever.

_Focus, Anders._

The spectral voice cutting across his surface thoughts was jarring like always, but it successfully derailed his stream of consciousness before it veered too far into self-loathing. A frown tugged at his lips but he fought against it, trying to hold onto the positive feelings of being commended for his work. His attempt at feigning a smile must not have been good enough to fool Wyatt who reached out with a tender hand to cradle his cheek, running a thumb across his jaw.

Anders exhaled through his nose and leaned into the touch, relishing it, committing it to memory. How many more of these would he get before it all came crashing down around them?

“Hey,” his lover’s voice was quiet and while he kept the concern out of his voice, it was visible in his eyes. “You’ve got that look again. Like you’re about to get up and run off. Didn’t realize my dramatic reading was that bad.”

He tried to brush it off, not wishing to worry Hawke any further. Not when he gave so much all the time. "Well, it wasn't the worst," Anders stated simply, "but I should finish this part, before I forget what I wanted to say."

Picking up the quill, he dipped the fine tip into the ink jar and put it to paper once more. His eyes flicked upwards as Hawke stood and lips brushed the top of his head before he walked away. For a minute, Anders found his focus again and poured himself into the manifesto draft. Until he saw his partner from the corner of his eye as he pulled up a chair and made himself comfortable just off to the side of the desk. While he hadn't yet spoken up, his face must have given him away.

"If you don't mind company…"

Anders glanced at him with reservation. "Do you intend to sit there and watch me write? I’m afraid it won’t be very exciting.” If his tone was at all accusatory or at all abrupt, he truly didn’t mean for it to be such.

“Then you’ll just have to let me help.” The words pried and pawed at him, attempting to get past his walls and leave him vulnerable.

“Help?” Anders pushed the edge out of his voice finally, not wanting Hawke to mistake it for a lack of appreciation or for bitterness even if he didn’t seem put off by any of it.

Spoken with his usual tenacity, Wyatt’s smile was disarming. “You can read it out to me, I’ll tell you what I think.”

He had no response. Not immediately. Not while his mind processed the possibilities, the emotions from laying himself practically bare. Yes, he had given the man part of it to read already but they were cohesive thoughts, given time to properly flourish in his mind first.

Was there even a point of fighting it? He had known Wyatt for a handful of years, three of those spent wistfully pining in silence but -

“Alright. I concede,” he said finally, with a sigh on his lips.


End file.
